Compressing apparatus



Dec. 26, '1922. 1,439,810.. K. GlRDwoou.

COMPRESSING APPARATUS.

FILED was. 1920. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Il' III g lNVENTOR www M HIS ATTO NEYS Dec. 26, 1922.

K. GIRDWOOD.

coMPREsslNG APPARATUS.

FILED Aue. 5. 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHED 2.

Patented Dec. 26, 19,22.,

UNirED STATES PATENT o FFl'cE.

COMPRSSING APPARATUS.

Application led August 5, 192,0. Serial No. 401,449.

, To all whomt may concern:

Be it known that I, KENNETH Ginnwoon,

v'a citizen of the United States of America,

I have discovered that by using a rotating Archimedean screw mounted' in a suitable. container, the periphery of the screw' from end to end thereof being in close proximityk to the wall of the container, and a circulating mobile material such as oil, for example, in the container and capable of serving as a seal at all points along the periphery of the screw, it is possible to entrain another lmo-l bile material, such as a gas, fluid, or liquid,

in the circulating material and to utilize 'the device as a compressor for pressure work, or as 'a vacuum pump, if desired, asi-will bc more fully pointed out hereinafter...

By the usevof the above construction, fa long seal effect is obtained between theQends of the device and when a gas or other suitf able material is entrained in the `oil at'the input end of the /deyice it is. forcedalong with the oil by the rotation of the screw and passed through the output end of the device to a suitable separator.' and storage rcceptacle. By virtue of the long seal pro'- vided by the oil between the periphery ofthe screw and the container wallv and between the ends of the container any desired presf4 sure in the storage receptacle'ljgcan ber at; tained. f

M invention is particularly useful in con- Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional elevatlon of a household refrigerating apparatus in which the device of Figure 1 is utilized `asa compressor for the refrigerant.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a container 1n which is mounted an Archimedean screw, 2, the bearings therefor being shown at 3 and 4. 1 stuffing box, 5, cooperates with the Jbearing 4. A coupling, 6, is provided on the shaft of the'screw 2 for connection to a suitable source of power, such as an electric motor (not shown). The rotation of the screw 2 draws oil, or other mobile material, into the container 1 at the input end thereof through a pipe, 7, from a tank, 8, and gas to and opening in the mouth of the pipe 7. -The oil and entrained material is forced v'along progressively by thescrew 2 in a ianner now well understood through contaiiier 1 and into a pipe, 10, at the output end ofsaid container 1, and thence into a tank or sepa- "rator, 11, where the circulating and entrained materials are separated from each ing material returning to the well or tank 8,

through a pipe, 12, and the entrained material passing through a pipe, 13, discharging into the air or into a suitable reservoir therefor and compressed therein, due to the fact that the circulating material serves'to prevent a reverse movement of the entrained material in the container, 1. Y f

Suitable check valves permitting How only in the desired direction are located in 4the pipes 7 ,19, and 12 and shownat 1li, 15, and- 16, respectively. ,Referring to Figure 2, the entrained maj terial is a -refrigerant.`such as sulphur dioxide, which is forced from the separator 11a through pipe 13 to a storage receptacle, 17, where the refrigerant is compressed to i the desired degree and condensed to liquid form and thence passed in that form nectlon with refrigerating machines of the through an expansion valve, conventionally mechanical compressor type and serves to eliminate stuffing box leaks in saidmachines and thus conserves the refrigerant and further protects' the householder from disagreeable escaping odors and fumes and possible harmful effects due to exposure to said odors and fumes.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my new device; and

indicated at 18, into an expansion coil or tube therefor, shown at 19, wherein the liquid refrigerant expands into vapor or gas, causing a refrigerating eiiect at this point in the apparatus, the gas passing into a tank, 20, and being drawn therefrom into the pipe 9 for reentrainment in the circu- 4lating liquid passing through the container, l.

The usual control devices, such as the be pumped is entrained from a pipe, 9, 'connected to a sultable gasysupply (not shown),

other, by gravity, for instance, the circulatcooling pipes, 21, for the condenser 17, the' rchimedean screw of a few turns between.

ends, it is to be understood that the number of turns may be increased to any desired number; and, likewise, one or more vanes will be mounted on the screw shaft, depending on whether, two, or three, or more, intake suctons are desired for each revolution of the screw shaft, as is found needful for any particular service; or that the periphery of the vane or vvanes may be provided with a sealing strip mounted in a groove in the periphery and functioning to give a closer fit with t-he container wall and generally similar tothe well known piston ring of commerce.

It is to be understood thatl the invention is not limited to the specific procedure and apparatus herein illustrated and described, but may be practised in other ways without departure from its spirit.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a compressing apparatus, the combination with a liquid circulating screw pump, means for introducing a fluid material into the circulating liquid, and means forI separating said fluid from said liquid.

2. In compressing apparatus, the combination with a liquid circulating screw pump, means for introducing a fluid mate rial into the circulating liquid, means for separating said fluid from said liquid, and means for expanding and returning said fluid to' said liquid.

3. In a compressing apparatus, the combination with a liquid circulating pump, means for introducing a fluid material into the circulating liquid, means in the pump for propelling the liquid and gas from the input end to the output end of the pump in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the pump propeller, the

circulating liquid serving as a'seal preventing reverse movement of the said fluid.

4. In a compressing apparatus, the combina-tion of a casing, a liquid in said casing, a propeller mounted in said casing and progressively forcing said liquid through said casing in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the propeller, and means for entraining a compressible fluid in said liquid.

5. In a compressing apparatus, the combination of a casing, a liquid in said casing, a propeller mounted in said casing and progressively forcing said. liquid through said casing in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the propeller, means for entraining a compressible fluid in said liquid, the said liquid serving as a seal between the periphery of the propeller and the casing wall and preventing movement of the compressible material in a reverse direction.

6. In a compressing apparatus, the combination of a casing, a liquid in said casing, a propeller mounted in said casing an'd progressively forcing said liquid through said casing in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotaton of the propeller,

-means for entraining a compressible fluid in said liquid, means for separating the fluid from the liquid, means for expanding the 'compressed fluidl and returning it to the point of entrainment in the liquid.

7. A pumping apparatus comprising a casing, a circulating fluid supply connected to the said casing, an inlet for fluid to be pumped, a screw propeller in said casing, progressively forcing said liquid through said casing, and an outlet for the entrained fluid.

8. A compressing apparatus comprising a casing, a circulating fluid supply connected to the said casing, an inlet, for fluid to be pumped, a screw propeller in said casing progressively forcing said liquid through said casing, a separator in the circulatingsupply and an outlet for the entrained fluid.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature. i

KENNETH GIRDW OOD. 

